Is it the Indians or the arrows (new bikes vs. old bikes)?

[Chicken Little]

It's not about the bike, and you don't suck. Unless the ole' girl weighs 35 lbs and doesn't fit.

Or your tires are flat. But I've tried that excuse- it doesn't fly.

[ny biker]

I think it could go either way. Could be they have an advantage in terms of gears that are better for climbing. Could be they are just in better shape, or better suited physically for climbing and generally riding fast. Could be their bikes are just lighter and made to go faster.

Best way to tell -- borrow one of their bikes, or test ride a new one at an LBS, and see how it goes.

[Grits]

I believe that if you have two equally fit people and one is on a heavier bike, that person will be slower, especially on hills, than the person on the lighter bike. If being slower on hills bothers you, and it seems to, and you aren't in a position to look at new, lighter weight bikes, a new wheelset can make a significant difference. If you do a search on this forum you can find many threads on that topic. The other possible solution is to train so much you are stronger than the other riders

I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a new carbon bike late last year. I am faster than I was, but one of my riding friends on an entry level all aluminum bike is still just as fast or faster because she is stronger than I am. I ride just as much or more, but she has always been very athletic and seems to have more muscle mass than I do, at least that is my story, and I'm sticking to it

[jessmarimba]

I've had bikes that were slow downhill, so I will vouch that sometimes it is the bike. It could even be the bike fit...for all you know, the bike isn't the right size or isn't set up in a way that will allow you to be your most efficient. Have you been fitted for the one you're riding at a local bike shop?

But sometimes its the rider.

If you guys are about the same size, why not swap for one hill and try? If nothing else, it will be a good experience. I had no idea how uncomfortable my first bike was until I went on vacation and rented one elsewhere. Wow, what a difference!

[jessmarimba]

Oh, and welcome to TE!! Good to meet you.

[Bombshelter]

Thanks everybody for the replies! I guess I just needed reaffirmation of what I already knew. We are about the same size & I tried suggesting we switch bikes for a day, but she made an excuse that it wouldn't make any difference! I didn't feel like arguing with her. I didn't know about changing my wheel set out though, thanks for the advice. When you have to struggle with your ego that much on a ride, sometimes it makes me not want to deal with it, but I also realize that's part of the zen that comes from riding & ironically that's exactly why I do it. I have nothing against pushing myself to become stronger, just sometimes it can be demoralizing & I start to question "is this fun?"

[Bike Writer]

Thanks everybody for the replies! I guess I just needed reaffirmation of what I already knew. We are about the same size & I tried suggesting we switch bikes for a day, but she made an excuse that it wouldn't make any difference! I didn't feel like arguing with her. I didn't know about changing my wheel set out though, thanks for the advice. When you have to struggle with your ego that much on a ride, sometimes it makes me not want to deal with it, but I also realize that's part of the zen that comes from riding & ironically that's exactly why I do it. I have nothing against pushing myself to become stronger, just sometimes it can be demoralizing & I start to question "is this fun?"

I believe it to be a combination of the bike and the rider also as many have attested to here. I know for certain that one of my bikes is faster and climbs better than the other. That being said, your commentary about your friend not wanting to switch bikes with you for you to try her's out is a bit telling in itself. I question if this person is a friend, because a friend would want to help a friend along with coaching you up a hill instead of leaving you behind. I imagine that some people could be possessive about their equipment but still, even swapping bikes out for a couple of hills does not seem unreasonable.

Challenging yourself by trying to ride up to a different skill level is fine but continuosly getting smoked by others would be discouraging. You might want to try riding with other groups of people on occasion and you'll know right off where your comfort level is and whether riding with superior riders is helping or hindering you. Riding should be fun and no, you don't suck - you're out there riding a bike and trying to get better at it. With all your training it sounds like you are.

[radacrider]

Wow, I don't know that I would enjoy riding with someone less than supportive - takes the fun out of it for me.

There are many factors and these seem to come to light when going up hill.

Rider - some people are better at flats, some at hills, some at downhills. Much depends on what you enjoy, your physical characteristics. Back when, I was okay on flats and such, not necessarily fast relative to the regular friends I rode with. But once we started going uphill, I was in the upper group - I trained for hills and, I guess, my muscle group and weight were more suited to that.

Bike - Given your current state, you would see a difference with a lighter bike. Would it be enough to stay up with the group - can't really say. Many factors on a bike - state of tune (chain, bearings); gearing (are you running out of gears, are you spinning or mashing up hills); tires (I've seen night and day difference just in tires); do you like the bike (the more you like/love your bike, the faster one seems to go - at least for me).

Compare against yourself not others. We are all different, different styles, different strengths. I stopped comparing to others because of that. No matter how much I trained, I could not pull at the speeds some of my friends could, but I did track my own progress and I could see I had improved, say, from point A to point B in time.

On the heavy bike note - My road bike is a 20 pounder and is a race frame. Very fun to ride. My commuter is probably a 30 pounder AND is also fun to ride. I have had guys on light road frames blast by me on the start of my final climb home (about 100' in half mile) only to start slogging about half way up and I go by in my normal, steady RPM at my pace. They either failed to shift or just did not anticipate the effect of the variable pitch of the road and went at it too hard, too soon. I've also been totally left in the dust.

Good luck in your training and improvements - you will get stronger and faster. Find some supportive friends/groups to ride with, that makes so much difference.

[redrhodie]

Thanks everybody for the replies! I guess I just needed reaffirmation of what I already knew. We are about the same size & I tried suggesting we switch bikes for a day, but she made an excuse that it wouldn't make any difference! I didn't feel like arguing with her. I didn't know about changing my wheel set out though, thanks for the advice. When you have to struggle with your ego that much on a ride, sometimes it makes me not want to deal with it, but I also realize that's part of the zen that comes from riding & ironically that's exactly why I do it. I have nothing against pushing myself to become stronger, just sometimes it can be demoralizing & I start to question "is this fun?"

She sounds like a piece of work. I recommend riding alone at least some of the time. It is more Zen; easier to get and stay in your zone. As soon as you ask the question "is this fun" the answer is already "no", because when it is fun, you're not thinking about it. Riding your bike shouldn't be demoralizing, because every ride, you're getting more fit, stronger, faster, healthier. That should be great for your morale! So, it seems the problem is not the bike, or the rider, it's the partner, IMO.